10:25am

WVAS Local

Lawmaker upset Gov. Riley refuses to pay legal fees

Montgomery, AL – - The state Finance Department has refusedto pay the legal fees of a Montgomery law firm that was hired by alegislative oversight committee to stop the state from proceedingwith an unbid $13 million computer contract. State Comptroller Thomas White has written to House Clerk GregPappas saying the committee didn't have the authority to hire thefirm of Thomas, Means, Gillis & Seay. White said the state can'tpay the $26,740 bill submitted by the law firm The Legislature's Contract Review Committee hired the firm torepresent the panel in a lawsuit seeking to stop the unbid contractsigned by Gov. Bob Riley with Paragon Source LLC. The lawsuit wasdismissed by a Jefferson County judge.